Refrigerator



March 25 E. L. STULTZ {REFRIGERATOR Filed June 5, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 25 1924.

E. L. STULTZ REFRIGERATOR Filed June 5. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTOR 0 N\% x A riftlriiflififml. m N \a x T a 4 \X. A f um 2. m w; M b wfii m m m 1 M 0 5 (KW 0 j W M m V JWV Afi 4 U.

FIXTURE NIFG. (10., F s.

ERNEST L. STULTZ, OF SAS QITY, mSSOURT, ASSIGNOR, TO T1? SAS CITY, MISSOURI, A COEPOTION 0F MSSQUBI.

nmnre'r on.

Application filed. June 5,

To all 107mm, it may Be it known that concern: I, Emvns'r L. STULTZ, 2.

' marked thereon,

Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerators;

and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to refrigerators and particularly to a refrigerator so designed that advantage can be taken of the low temperature of the water resulting from the melting of the ice to reduce the temperature within the food receiving shelves ofthe refrigerator. c

In carrying out my invention I prefer to combine the ice with salt so that the melting ice forms a brine at a relative low temperature. This brine is trapped within the refrigerator and being cool, obviouslycools the surrounding atmosphere.

It has generally been proposed to pass oil the drippings from the ice as quickly as possible and in this respect my invention difiers from the general practice as I trap the drippings or brine by providing an overflow for the waste pipe which will maintain the brine at a predetermined level on the cooling conuit. N

I prefer to arrange ice-chambers at site ends of the refrigerator and flow the brine from the opposite ends toward the center so that the brine will pass adjacent to the shelves which contain the food, preferably along the outer edge so as to maintain,

the air, particularly adjacent to the shelves,

over 0w drain, and

Fig. 3 is a vertical, longitudinal, frag- 1922. Serial No. 566,

mentary, sectional view tugh the re erator. v

The casing or box 1 of the refrigerator is shown as relatively long. The walls may consist of any suitable terial At each end of the refrigerator are shown two drawers which constitute the ice containing receptacles; The drawers 2 and 3 at one end are substantially like the drawers at and 5 at the other end. Each drawer consists of a metallic receptacle 6, having guide rails Tand 8 on its respective sides which are received in guides 9 and 10, aitably suppo wit the refrigerator x 1. Since each drawer is substantiy a counterpart of the other drawers, it is not necessary to describe each one in detail. The bottom of each drawer is provided with 11, through which the dripp e ice may pass. For the upperfrom t drawers 2 and 4 there is a. catch basin or pan 12, one for each drawer, and these pans 12 contain overflow pipes 13 which end heat insulating maabove the bottom thereof and discharge through the bottom into a longitudinal conduit 14, rg along the edge of the shelf 15 of the refrigerator between the two ends.

Each drawer 2 and 4 is provided with a false bottom 16, to contain the ice, the false bottom being of less area than the drawers so that the water may flow over it and preferably through it, to bc dischar 1 w the ope 11 in the bottom of the were 2 and & so that it may be received in the catch basin or pan 12. This catch basin an overflow outlet 13, secured in an ope in the bottom of pan 12 and exten above said bottom so as to maintain a i w 1% ct liquid in said pan.

I prefer to salt the ice, that is, mix the ice with coarse salt so that it willmelt at a lower temperature than ordinary ice to proj vide a cold brine water to pass through the conduit 14. At the center of the conduit 1 1 is an overflow pipe 17, extending from the bottom of the conduit a suitable distance and discharging into the the bottom of the'refrigerator, the sump being connected to a suitable waste or sewer.

The overflow pipe 17 is provided with two vertical slots 19 and 20, which extend from the floor of the conduit 14. These are inormally closed by a valve 21, rotatable the overflow pipe 17 and having a. portion waste sump 18at which is an overflow collar,

22 by means of which it ma be turned. The valve is provided with ametrically opposite slots 23, only one being shown, and these slots are adapted to register with the slots 19 and 20 when the valve is in one lposition to drain ofi the brine. When the s ots 23 are turned out of register with the slots 19 and 20, the slots 19 and 20 will be valved ofi'so that the brine must reach the top of the flow-ofi pipe 17 to flow over its edge before it can esca e into the sump 18. The top of the overflliw pipe 17 does not extend beyond the top 24 of the conduit 14 so even though the valve is in closed position, the brine will not rise above the plate or top 24. The conduit 14 receives the brine from the pans 12 at the rate at which the ice melts so there is always cooling water being fed into the conduit 14, replacing the brine which is being warmed by absorbed heat within the refrigerator case.

The lower drawers similar to the drawers 2 and 4 and they discharge into the bottom of the case along an inclined floor portion 25, which may empty into the sump 18. The sump has a collar 26 as clearly seen in Fig. 3, the collar being of suflicient height to permit a predetermined level of the brine in the conduit 14', formed by the floor 25 and the cover late 27.

he re rigerator may have an inclined wall 28 at the front with a plurality of doors 29, the number being whatever is reuired for easy access to the shelf 15 and t ere may be a corresponding number of doors 30 so that access may be had to the lower shelf 31. It will be a parent that the salted ice may be readily p aced in the drawers and the 3 and 5 are formed emes drawers closed so that if the doors 29 and 30 are closed, the ice box will be sealed. The meltingl ice will form a brine passing throug the conduits 14 and 14 to cool the central space of the refrigerator, in which are located the shelves 15 and 31. There will always be some brine adjacent to the shelves because the overflow pipes will tain a predetermined level in both conduits. The refrigerator is very simple in construction, easily accessible and well adapted to perform the service for tended.

While I have illustrated the device as provided with ice chambers at the respective ends of the casing, it is obvious that for small units a sin le ice chamber may be employed at one end communicatin therewith in the same manner as if two we chambers were used.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a refrigerator, a casing comprising an ice chamber and a shelf for the support of articles to be cooled, an ice drawer slidably suspended in said chamber, having an apertured bottom, a false bottom in said drawer having edges spaced from the walls of the drawer to 1permit drainage from the false bottom to t e apertured bottom, in saidchamber below the ice drawer, a conduit leading from beneath the catch pan along said shelf, an overflow pipe having an intake in said pan above the bottom thereof and delivering into said conduit, and an overflow waste pipe. an intake in said conduit above the bottom thereof.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signatum. a

I ERNEST no STULTZ.

mainof the casing, the conduit a catch pan which it is in- 

